The Banquet

 The 12th International Geologists Congress (IGC) met at the University of Toronto August 7-14, 1913. The topic of discussion was the Coal Resources of the World.  The 11th IGC had met in Stockholm in 1910 to discuss the iron ore reserves of the world.  For two years, leading geologists, mining engineers and researchers from 64 countries cooperated in collecting, compiling and sharing data to map the worlds coal supply. The result was 1400 pages printed in three volumes with illustrations and additional atlas that contained 70 full colour maps.  The work was a complete and authoritative statement of the coal resources of the globe.   

There were 31 excursions across Canada planned for the visiting geologists that would occur before, during and after the convention in Toronto.   The scholars were shuttled  across Canada in private train cars and steamboats from Sydney, Cape Breton to Dawson City in the Klondike. They toured mines, quarries and geological sites all across the country.   The Canadian Mining Journal Sept 1913 documented the Congress and included photos of their excursions in Sudbury Ontario.

 The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) printed a set of 10 Guide Books detailing these excursions.  The Toronto Star, July 29 1913 reported on a local planned itinerary: 

They will come to Toronto and on Monday will divide into two parties. One, under Professor Coleman and Mr. Taylor, will go over on the early boat to Niagara and study the geological formation there, and then return by way of Hamilton, spending three days on their trip. The other party, headed by Dr. W. A. Parks, will devote their attention paleontology. They will go to Hagersville first and then gypsum mines at Caledon(ia), and then by a special train to Redford, near Lake Huron, where are celebrated deposits of fossils. On the return a day will be spent in Guelph and the return trip Toronto will be reached on Wednesday.

The Hamilton excursion itinerary changed considerably in the following month.  The morning was now spent fossil hunting under the bridge of  the Desjardins Canal, and later along the escarpment.  They had a 1pm lunch with the Mayor of Hamilton John Allen at the Royal Hotel.  Then back up to  the escarpment for more fossil hunting.  

On August 6, 1913, a train arrived at the Grand Trunk Railway station in Caledonia at 6:00 pm.  Stepping out of their private Pullman passenger car "The Rosemore" were 25 geologists from International Geological Congress on the tail end of their fossil hunting excursion in Hamilton. They were met at the station by Mr. Robert E. Haire, the manager of the Alabastine company of Paris (Ontario) and Mr. Parkhurst, the manager of the mines.  Behind them were a crowd of 25 other prominent Caledonians including the Reeve J.W. Avery, village councilors and officers of the board of trade who were there by invitation of Robert Haire.  Together the group walked  five minutes down the road to the Alabastine Company Mills for a detailed tour of how gypsum is processed on site.  

After the mill tour, Mr. Renwich escorted the group into the mine through the main shaft, going 100 feet down.  The group walked roughly half a kilometer through the mines passageways and caverns, the geologists filling their pockets with samples along the way.  Turning a corner, they entered a large  room about 100 feet long and 25 foot wide.  Painted on the wall were the words "Welcome to Room No 9".  The walls were strung with electric lights, in the center of the room there was a long banquet table set and spread with food catered by A.E Jones. Together the 50 guests sat side by side on long wooden benches, laughed, talked and enjoyed their banquet 100 feet below Caledonia.  At the end of the meal, a flash photograph was taken by Mr. Rundell of Paris (Ontario).  

There were no formal speeches, but Hamilton born paleontologist Dr. William Arthur Parks ; the groups excursion guide from the University of Toronto. ( Who was one of the founders and original directors of the ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM) Thanked Mr. Robert Haine on behalf of everyone for his kindness and hospitality. Cigars were passed around and another short trip through the mines to see some of the machinery at work. At 8:30 pm the group returned to the train station to catch another private Pullman train car that had been arranged to take them back to Toronto.  The Convention began the following day. 

To honor the occasion of  The Geological Congress , Prime Minister Robert Borden unveiled a monument in Ottawa to Sir William E. Logan, who established the first Geological Survey of Canada in 1842.

The archived copies of the Sachem August 6, 1913, have the article cut out.

 

Currently, the only original record of the banquet is found in the daily Caledonia column in the Hamilton Spectator August 7, 1913. The original Sachem article was reprinted August 3 1932. in the Old Sachem Files column.

Hamilton Spectator August 7, 1913.

Grand River Sachem August 03 1932

 Toronto Star July 29 1913. 

Interestingly,  two months prior, on May 17, 1913. There was another banquet in room no. 9. This one had 60 businessmen from Hamilton and Toronto.  Their described experience is virtually identical to the geologists.   Hilariously, it was also cut out of the paper, so there is no original record of it in the Sachem archives. Thankfully,  the same story was reprinted in the Hamilton Spectator May 18, 1913.  It also appears in the Old Files Column.  I'm assuming they had a folder of old clippings.

 

I believe this is the banquet of 60 people referred to by Earle Gillespie in Barbara Martindale's book Along the Grand. 

He also remembered hearing about banquets being held in the mine during the very early years for some sixty people. Here the company would often host dealers to promote products. "They must have been rather cool affairs", he said, "the temperature in the mine remains at 55 degrees, winter or summer."

It is also missing from the archive.